


hey #0.5

by stmoritz



Category: Next to Normal - Kitt/Yorkey
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, also i couldn't come up with a good title, ends right before perfect for you, everything else happens during this one-shot, henry basically fawning over natalie until he finally decides to talk to her, i just needed some henry/natalie in my life so i treated myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:08:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stmoritz/pseuds/stmoritz
Summary: it's february, and henry has been dying to talk to natalie goodman all year. now, he finally has a chance when he hears her playing piano in one of the practice rooms.





	hey #0.5

it was an uneventful thursday morning for henry. it was a bleak, autumn day, tired students marching slowly besides the dying trees. he felt that same fatigue, that same monotony that comes with routine, but he still felt out of place. he felt like he lived in his own bubble, but not one he created for himself. he felt like he was forced into this space, and whoever put him in here wouldn’t let him out. as he watched other students walk by, grinning and laughing with friends, walking slowly to prolong the pleasant conversation, he longed for a relationship with someone like that. he wanted someone to walk to class with, someone to take his time with, someone that could make him forget the stress of school for just a minute. but as he neared his first period class, he could feel the bubble dissipating ever so slightly. he had a person in mind to have that relationship with, and he had english with her.

the tile floor turned to carpet as he entered the classroom. he looked up hopefully at the second to the last desk on the farthest left row. he bit his lip to keep himself from smiling when he saw natalie goodman sitting there. his back straightened, his pace picking up slightly. he could almost feel his heart beating faster. his backpack felt lighter, and so did everything else. his worries, his anxieties, his troubles, suddenly didn’t seem so heavy anymore. he loved how she made life brighter, just by sitting in her desk. he loved seeing that faraway look in her eyes; it reminded him of himself. they were both wishing for something better. he had found a fellow dreamer, and he’d try so hard to fly as high as she did.

he walked down the aisle, hearing hushed, last-minute whispers between his classmates. he risked a glance at natalie, taking in her drawn, narrow face, her thin lips. hers was a soft, plain, tired face, but there was a natural beauty to it. he could stare at her all day. but here, he looked away before she could distract him even more. he dropped his backpack on the floor, sitting down with a heavy sigh. natalie looked quickly over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow, and they made eye contact for a split second. he saw her fiery brown eyes with that tired glaze, and he felt his heart leap. he tried to play it off, giving her the slightest smile. when she turned around without smiling back, he huffed and slumped in his seat.

he rested his head on his desk as the bell rang. he had this one small moment at the slightest communication, and she didn’t seem to want to make a connection. he knows he shouldn’t force her into anything, but she was all he wanted.

their teacher, mrs. robinson, shut the door raising her voice to get the class’s attention. henry ignored the command, his mind flying up to the clouds. he listened to natalie tap out a tune. she always did that when she was bored or didn’t have anything to do. she’d turn her desk into a piano. if he tilted his head, he could almost see the arch of her long, pale fingers. he could make out the blue veins streaking across the back of her hand. he wondered what song she was playing, what music made her fingers move so quickly yet gracefully. he wondered if it was mozart or bach, or something she wrote herself. then he wondered how long it took her to master this song, or how long it took her to write it and find all the right notes. he wondered if it kept her up at night, if that was the reason why there were always bags under her eyes.

he blinked when she suddenly stopped tapping, lifting his head a little. there was the rustle and groan of his classmates grabbing the novel resting under their desks. natalie never tapped on her desk while they were reading in class, she always focused on the book. henry sat up fully, reaching for the book under his desk. he sighed as he gazed at the iconic cover of _the great gatbsy_. he didn’t see what was so “great” about the story. it felt stereotypical to him, and rather boring at some points. sure, the writing was pretty, but he wasn’t sold on the plot or the characters.

henry opened the book to the page where his class had left off, then let his mind wander off again. natalie’s tapping replayed in his head, nodding his head to the light bounce of the music. he started tapping his foot, too. he wished he could hear her play one day; a school desk and a piano are two very different instruments. and just watching her tap on her desk… he could only imagine how beautifully those precise fingers could play any song on this planet.

he could’ve sworn he felt his whole body float away as he imagined them sitting on the bench together. he imagined natalie guiding his fingers so he could play that lilting tune that was stuck in his head. he imagined messing up, and natalie telling him it was okay with a smile. he imagined natalie playing the song at the other, higher end of the keys, letting him follow her lead. he imagined their hands accidentally brushing against each other, the music suddenly stopping. he imagined staring into her eyes again, but they don’t look tired anymore. he imagined light in them, matching the radiance of her irises. he imagined a blush rising to her cheeks, continuing the song where they left off. he imagined her humming along, smiling the softest smile as she watched her fingers dance across the keys…

“henry?” mrs. robinson’s soft voice called, making him jump.

“sorry, yes, ma’am?” he mumbled.

“what do you think the green light symbolizes?” she asked, leaning against her podium. she rested her hand on her chin, looking at him expectantly.

“well, it symbolizes…” he trailed off, feeling eyes staring at him. he was just glad natalie kept her eyes forward. “gatsby trying to climb the social ladder and getting more money?”

“money is a small part of it, that’s correct.” she replied, looking around the classroom to pick someone else to answer. “natalie?”

“it represents gatsby’s hopes and dreams, which is sort of tied with money since he’s using it to get to daisy.” natalie answered quietly.

“good job. thank you, natalie.” mrs. robinson smiled.

henry let out a small sigh, ducking his head. he let himself get lost the rest of class, but for some reason, he couldn’t remember natalie’s song. the vague notes he could remember all bled together into a gigantic mess, and it didn’t feel right. his mind was grasping at straws, and it didn’t help the situation at all. the dismissal bell didn’t even make him feel better. trying to remember that stupid song would bother him all day.

his bubble was more present than ever as he walked down the hall to his second period. his heart was sinking, his spirits crashing to the ground, and he didn’t need that barrier shutting him out again. he enjoyed his personal space, but since natalie didn’t seem to want to talk to him, he was suddenly desperate to interact with _anyone_. whether it was some random kid in the hallway, his math teacher from freshman year, or one of the popular girls, he’d let them in. but the smallest part of him still hoped he’d have another chance with natalie. he had three more classes with her, three more chances to get close to her. he can’t screw up any of those. if he reaches out, but doesn’t get to her, he’s done for. but no, he shouldn’t focus on that right now, anyway; he would be late to class if he kept dwelling on it.

~

a couple of hours later, henry made his way to the lunchroom by himself. he had his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, his head down. he heard muffled conversations as crowds walked by. soon, as they rushed past, the talking grew quiet, until he couldn’t hear it anymore.

henry was never a fan of lunch. he always sat alone, and he was never hungry. some of the people that were the closest things he had to friends always offered to let him join them for a smoke—off-campus, of course—during lunch, but he always refused. he always smoked outside of school. he’d hate to get in trouble with the school administration.

that feeling of not belonging seemed to magnify within him, and the loneliness suddenly reached a whole new level. he didn’t have friends like, well, everyone else, it seemed. his grades were average, but not perfect. he didn’t play any sports, he wasn’t in any school clubs, he didn’t do theatre or show choir, he wasn’t in marching band, he didn’t do anything, really. he dabbled in photography, but there wasn’t a club or anything for it. he wasn’t that good at it, either. he has some pictures from concerts or walks in the park that he was pretty proud of, but they wouldn’t win him an award or anything. some days, he just _knew_ he wasn’t destined for anything. taking mediocre pictures and smoking weed at 2 a.m. wasn’t going to get him anywhere in life. he watched his classmates go to national science competitions, give oscar-worthy performances in the school play, belt the national anthem at baseball games, and he was just henry. even natalie, she talked about using her piano to waltz right into yale…

then he heard it.

natalie herself, playing that little tune she tapped out in english.

he froze by the door of one of the practice rooms, leaning in closer. all those notes were suddenly so clear, so sharp, and it took his breath away. his heart started beating faster again as a flurry of notes bounded across the air. then it all slowed down. it reminded him of the calm _after_ the storm, with the hint of hope for the brighter days that will come soon. there was relief, peace, a relaxing element to the music.

he pressed his ear against the door, desperate to hear better, but then he heard something else… was natalie _singing_?

puzzled, henry listened intently, but he couldn’t make out what she was singing. everything she sang was muffled, distorted. her voice was high and smooth, but henry wanted to know what words were flowing out of her mouth.

he took a deep breath, his hand beginning to reach for the doorknob. he paused, though, when it sounded like natalie was _yelling_ more than she was singing. he bit his lip, feeling his heart ache for her. he could only imagine the stress she’s going through with this yale thing going on. but still, she shouldn’t have to face it alone. she shouldn’t have to scream at an empty room. but dare he interrupt?

he attempts to look through the small window, getting just a glance at natalie. her back is straight, but her shoulders are hunched. she stared at the keys blankly, looking absolutely, emotionally drained. henry saw natalie move to turn off the keyboard. he inhaled sharply, his mind suddenly racing. he needs to act, and he needs to act now.

 _but what if i screw it up? what if i creep her out and she never wants to talk to me again? should i even tell her how i feel at all? even if i don’t come off as creepy, she probably won’t feel the same way. either way, i’ll probably end up as some lonely stoner that won’t survive high school. i was never gonna go to yale like she is anyway, so why try? but, i guess, if it’ll end in tragedy anyway, why_ not _?_

henry took the deepest breath he could, closing his eyes for a split second, then threw the door open.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the (kinda) cliffhanger but basically everything after is just canon so i decided to end it there lol but i hope y'all enjoyed this and if you did pls give kudos and comment! if you wanna talk or send me requests or something you can find me on tumblr (@fiftyfourbelow)! i love all of you and i hope you have a nice day


End file.
